Purpose
The purpose of the Community Health Improvement Plan is to mobilize Buffalo County Residents, organizations, and stakeholders to collaboratively address issues that impact health.
In collaboration with Great Rivers United Way, the Buffalo County Health Department began the process of conducting a new Community Health Needs Assessment in early 2023. The assessment gathers information from community members about various aspects of life in our county and determines ways to address those identified needs. The Community Health Needs Assessment is sent out every 3 years and surveys Buffalo County residents on various aspects of life including: health, income, education, public safety, quality of life, and community.
Results
Dating and sexual violence, and the increasing rate of Lyme disease, were selected as the top priorities in Buffalo County for the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) for 2026–2030.
The community arrived at this decision through data collection, household surveys, and community meetings. Some statistics taken from the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey include:
Dating and Sexual Violence
- 15% of all students (24% of females, 6% of males) self-reported having had experienced sexual or dating violence.
- 11% of all students were forced to do something sexual (including, but not limited to, sexual intercourse).
Lyme Disease Incidence Rate
- There was a 265% increase in Lyme Disease incident rate from 2021 to 2022 in Buffalo County.
*Note: In 2022, reporting requirements were updated, which may partly explain the increase in reported incidents. - Buffalo County fell in the highest incident rate category in the state for 2023, falling in the 287-619 cases per 100,000 population.
Community Health Assessment (CHA)
